Sorry if I keep having new stories its because ideas keep running in my head but I promise i will finish them until the end

Also, I wrote this when I was 12 and I was cheesy back then not that I am not now but a bearable kind of cheesy and my grammar was atrocious back then so I'll do what I can in the editing. 

Thank You sh3ry25 for the picture of the past cast! I unfortunately have to change them due to the rewriting though some would stay the same and I won't take this down. It's too pretty to take down.

If I put a number and title in the chapters it means it is edited

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Prologue: The Dying Girl

Death is nothing at all. It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.
~Henry Scott-Holland

She watch and stare at him, hoping like the dying patient that she is even though the truth was obvious, she was too pale, too knobby kneed to be called healthy. She didn't even have hair anymore and she isn't getting any better.

The doctor looks at her, his eyes soft, and as he cleared his throat he looks at the papers that he was holding, it was the results. He checks the ECG to try to slow the inevitable but it doesn't work, it would never work since the truth has always been that she is in fact, dying. 

Even though he did everything he could, to repay her mother for saving his own daughter, he couldn't save her. All he could do is let her live, let her do what she wants, to walk around again, and let her choose her own path.

"You're dying" he finally said the words that the both of them already knew  "in a year's time"

Iona laughs and she shakes her head, which once had those beautiful dark locks, and leaned back to the hospital bed. 

She was right, how could she not be right? Even though her eyes glowed with life, her body was still filled with bruises that she couldn't begin to count, and her body is as thin as paper. Her once radiance was gone like her hopes, and her dreams. All she could do was smile, and laugh while trying to tell the others that she was fine but she wasn't. What else could she say? What story can she tell to people? when all your life you lived in this solitary life. 

All she knew was the hospital, and her brief public education when she was young. She barely had any friends at that time since she was still fresh from remission, too fragile even when they thought she was okay. 

"Doc, we all know that I'm dying, you just gave a deadline" Iona chuckles "Well, there isn't any more news, right? I guess, I should go"

The doctor smiled at her boldness "yeah, you should live your life. Well, I will sign the papers to discharge you"

Iona smiles "thank you, doc... For everything"

"You're welcome" the doctor then extracts the IV, and puts it away. He puts enough pressure with a sterile cotton ball on it, trying to stop her from bleeding. "Well, I could... call your uncle to tell them about your condition... at least or if you want me to"

"I would like to do it" Iona shrugs "maybe someday... on my own, but not now, I don't want to tell them yet since they still don't know that mom is dead. Maybe, I'll drop off to their house once I am ready to say goodbye"

"You have no plan on telling them now?" the doctor asks, wiping drops of blood that managed to drip down. He refuses to meet her eyes, he doesn't want her to see the disapproving eyes that would reflect back at her dark ones.

Iona laughs "Doc, there's a right time for everything"

"Yeah, perhaps" He takes ones more longing look at the cotton ball. How he cursed at himself for being so weak willed

3 months later

Iona faces the door of her Uncle's house. She's quite nervous, knowing all too well how protective her uncle is towards her and her mother. After all, they were family but when her mom went to Africa because of her work, the next thing she knew she was being dragged by her drug addict asshole of a father, away from them. Well, at least she has that to tell as a story to people she met because that's the only interesting to tell about her life. 

Oh, Hi stranger! Really? You had a pet lizard when you were five? Me? I didn't have one, because my addict of a father beats us instead. 

This made Iona smile a little bit, imagining the shock and horrified faces of the complete stranger in her imagination. God, she has turned in to such an odd ball. Probably, the effect of someone who wasn't exposed to a lot of social interactions.

Iona had grown out her hair, it came out in small elegant curls and stopping on the middle of her   back. A lot has changed in 3 months, her naturally tanned skin was still too pale to call healthy, even though she thought she'd be able to hide her paleness if she has tan skin, but it totally didn't work. Her black eyes is still full of life and glossy, and her lips is barely going back to its color, barely. She wore her long sleeve wool shirt and some jeans, to obviously hide her accumulated bruises.

She got operated again since she was having a hard time not to get involve in fights. She did inherited her mother's sense of justice and guts, besides a dying girl isn't afraid to lose her life.

Plus, she lives on the bad side of town. There was this time when a thief snatched a woman's purse, and before she knows it, her feet was carrying her to the man's direction. Sure, it was an idiotic thing to do but the self defense lessons she had from her uncles were handy.

She inflicted lots of bruises since then but the woman gave her money, enough to buy the medicine that'll help with the pain. 

Now here she was, she never thought she'll be in front of her Uncle's door this fast since it has just been three months, and she's already saying goodbye. Isn't it a little bit too fast or too quick? How would they react? What will they do?

They can't save her, that's for sure. 

Questions keep swarming in her mind, but she knows herself. She knows that if she overthinks, she'll turn and never come back. Sighing and summoning up the last ounce of her courage, she lifts her knuckles and knocked. 

She glances at her hand, the small bruises that formed from the contact faded in about 14 seconds, not that she was counting. 

Thank you, meds. 

A few moments later, someone opens the large door and a woman with brown curls that lays on her right shoulder, blue cerulean eyes that are warm and comforting came in to full view. The woman's eyes widen in realization as to who's standing in front of her. 

"Iona is that...is that really you?" she whispers in disbelief. She raises her hand to cup Iona's cheek, she furrow her brows at the coldness of it but blamed the unpredictable weather. 

The warmth of her hand was heaven to Iona, it's not just because she was cold, she is always cold, but it also felt familiar, it felt a little bit like a home she had a lifetime ago. 

Iona nods. "Hey, Aunt Farah"

Farah suddenly pulls her in to a hug while tears fell from her eyes "My gosh! Ten years of not seeing you was enough to drive us crazy"

Iona laughs, it felt a bit off. it's been a while since she truly laugh at the ridiculousness of something. 

"ten years of not seeing you guys was enough to drive me crazy too" she says, truthfully. 

She was close to turning insane, especially when she knew she was going to die in a year. She never told anyone, but the truth is she was depressed. When she arrived in the safety of her new apartment that the doctor gave her, she bawled her eyes out until it was blotchy and it hurts to close her eyelids. it was already hard enough to accept the fact she was dying and the thought of not seeing her uncles and aunties is just absurd.

Farah tucks Iona's hair over her ear and hugs her once again "Oh, your Uncle Fredo is going to be excited to see you. Jared and Keith will be happy to see you too!"

Iona smiles "I'm excited too"

"Oh no, go in, go in. its cold out here, don't stay on the cold especially when you're a human" Farah insisted as she pushes Iona in, even though it's summer.

Iona looked around the cabin like house, it was warm with the brown wood and all the carpets and mahogany furniture. And as soon as Iona entered, she was in the living room that has four couches surrounding a coffee table, a fireplace with the fire lit on the corner, and some more Persian carpets. 

God, I keep forgetting how big their houses are. 

Iona was astounded at the design and the space, it was larger than any house that she has ever seen. She looks around, especially eyeing the pictures on the fire place and on the walls.

There were a lot of pictures on the wall, a lot of proof that there are many people who lives in this house. But it was obvious how important the pictures of the Alpha's family was, there were a lot of pictures of her Uncle's family which included ever her and her mom.

Her mom is the only girl in her generation since girls seldomly happens in her family. 

Her mom never had a mate, but her uncles, who were human, had Alpha Werewolf mates. The reason of which is because the males in her family often carried the "Mating Gene" and her family are known for carrying strong ones. Her uncle's were lucky while her mom was stuck with a drug addict douche bag who says he loves her mother but didn't stop with the meth or cocaine for her mother's sake.

"You've grown so much, but you are thin as a stick" Farah commented as she held Iona's hands with hers "well, we'll fix that, come on." Farah pushed her niece to the dining room, and made her sit on one of the mahogany chairs with varnished tables and gold linings "Stay there, I'm going to get some food."

Iona watched as Farah left, and decided to look around yet again. She wasn't really known to follow orders well.  The intricate design of the rug beneath her shoes was captivating, it looked complicated and rich in stories. It looks a bit tribal in all honesty. 

She also noticed that the dining room was big enough to fit twenty men, and there were more pictures on the wall, thinking maybe it was the pack members. She studied them further, hoping to see any familiar faces that she must have stumbled on before. 

After a few minutes, Farah was carrying four plates that are even on her arms, and lay it on the table, she smiles and looks at Iona with mock disappointment "Didn't I tell you to stay still and sit?"

Iona gave her a sheepish smile, "I wanted to look around"

"Shush, child" Farah chuckles "just eat"

Iona sits back down and looked at the beef stew, roasted turkey, mash potatoes and spaghetti.

"How did you cook all this?" Iona says, eyeing unsurely if she can finish all of these but she quickly grab a plate, a spoon and fork then digs in.

"Well, it was just sitting in the kitchen. Waiting to be served, because if you've seen how much the pack members eat, everyday you'll be amazed"

Iona stops, and puts down her spoon and fork "Aunty, its food for the pack you shouldn't have given it to me"

Farah frowns "No, just eat don't worry about it. There's a lot of food in the kitchen, they wouldn't mind if you eat some."

With that in mind, Iona started to dig in, she havent seen this many food since her mother died. In a matter of 30 minutes, the roasted turkey was in half and all the mash potatoes were gone, some of the beef stew was taken and the spaghetti only a quarter was left.

Iona made a satisfied sigh, and looks at her happy aunty "Thank you for the food"

Farah smiles "you are always welcome. Oh! look at the time they'll be coming home now. Come on, Iona lets greet them in the living room"

Iona nods, and follows her. Her palms sweating and going clammy at the thought of having the conversations that she practiced in her head, a hundred times. They took a seat on the couch, talking to pass the time. 

Farah didn't ask much because she was quick to notice how Iona closes up at intrusive questions. It made her worry and wonder as to what her little niece could be hiding but then people started to enter, eyeing the strange human that has a weak scent for a bit but chose to not to comment on it. 

Three figures that only mattered came through the door, the man on the middle taller than the teenagers on each side of him. 

"Dad, please it's just this once! Please raise my allowance" Keith says. His dirty blonde hair going under his brows, his strong jaw tense as his blue eyes looks pleadingly to his father. Keith was wearing a blue shirt and his designer jeans, looking cool and stylish.

Jared roll his eyes, his brown hair long enough to cover his left eye. His hair was side swept to the side because of the wind outside the house. He had blue eyes, and fair skin just like his mother. He had a lip ring on his lower lip, and he wore a black tight shirt with skinny jeans

Fredo looks unfazed, his black hair tousled, his dark eyes was devoid of emotion, until he saw Iona. His broad shoulders tenses up, straining the skin on his large muscles.

"Iona?" he whispers, unsure while worry and disbelief clouded his eyes.

Iona smiles and nods "hey, Uncle"

Fredo was filled with joy and before they know it he was twirling around the room with his niece in his arms. Pack members came in and looked at them curiously and even a bit amused by their leaders joy. When he finally stopped, he lets her go and Iona, as usual, got dizzy and plops back down the couch.

"Where have you been? Where's your mother? Are you alright? Are you alone? Are you with your good for nothing father?" Fredo asks, not taking a breath. He looks around trying to scent any other humans in the vicinity. Worried as hell about his little sister's antics and his nieces life.

Iona suddenly looks vulnerable. She tries to feel for the words she practiced the whole time, but her voice was nowhere to be found. Her voice fading at the mention of her dead mother, a conversation she wasn't read but she has to tell. 

It was hard to tell the truth but she never lied before, so it will be be easy to know if she was lying. She tried to get the words out that his little sister is dead and his niece is dying in less than a years' time. But she wasn't heartless enough to tell it to him that quick and easy, it was her mom for god sake and it's her life! But she just couldn't pull out the words out of her tongue like her tongue couldn't get around the shape of the words

Fredo sensing his niece's distress, he ordered the pack members to give them some privacy through the mind link, while Keith and Jared took a seat on the couch on either side of their mother as they watch their long lost cousin be interrogated by their father.

"Uncle" Iona whispers as she felt the sudden her tears threatening to drop down her eyes. "Mom is...Mom is dead"

Fredo watch his niece's tears fall and the realisation hits him, his baby sister is dead and gone. It felt like one of those slow motion moments in a movie. You could hear a fucking pin drop to the floor at the tension in the air. The sadness emanating from them, palpable. 

Fredo pulls her in a hug, he tried to comfort her but her tears won't stop and he felt there's another reason than just her sister dying. 

Iona pulls back from him and stands, away from the eyes the stare at her expectantly. she wipes her tears but it won't stop. She looks at her cousins hoping that they'll still remember her since they used to play together when she was six years old and they were really close back then. 

That was a lifetime ago, Iona.

"Iona is there anything else you're not telling us?" Farah says, her lips on a straight line. She reaches for Iona's arm to make Iona look at her "Because we can take care of you. You don't have to--

Iona suddenly yelps when Farah held on to the wrong spot. She pulls her arm away and looks at her aunty, who was confused and concerned. 

Fredo turning a little bit impatient since her niece was taking a long time to tell them. He wants to fix the problem that is making Iona anxious. His own grief and pain from losing his little sister set aside, for now. 

Iona sighs "and...Uhm I-I-I'm going to die"

Farah looks confused. How could this teenager who barely lived a life be dying? When Iona looks at her cousins, she noticed how confused and bewildered they were. 

Keith stands "What do you mean dying?"

"i-I-I have.... Cancer" Iona struggles to say it but she finally said it, proud at herself she goes on "it's stage four, I have 9 months to live, 9 more months."

"where's your father?" Fredo interjects

"Out there looking for me, blaming me of mom's death and his misfortune of being poor" Iona says. She then slides up her sleeves, the large bruises on full scrutiny and their eyes widen at the sight of them

"I'm dying in 9 months" she repeats with no particular reason.

"Since when did this happen?" Keith says. He gingerly grabs Iona's shoulder to really look at her fragile cousin

"ten years ago, the doctors said it was even a miracle for me to live until now" Iona explains "I'm dying, I guess"

With such a pang of sadness and worry, Keith couldn't resist pulling her small frame in to his arms. "I finally get to see you again, and you're just here to say you're dying."

Iona hugs him back "I'm sorry"

"So, what happens now?" Jared voice broke but he withheld any emotion. He is not going to break as easy as his voice. 

"Uh, I have to go, I have to live my life as the doctor said" Iona says, trying to make it sound casual.

"NO!" Fredo's voice echoes inside the house "You will not, you will stay in this house"

Iona shivers in fear, but regained herself with Keith's hold. She slowly looks at her uncle again "Please, uncle I have nine months to live, three months ago my doctor said I have a year left but due to what I have done I'm not so sure"

"what do you mean by what you have done?"

"I sorta beat a guy on an alley because he tried to snatch a womans purse and I sorta gone back and forth the hospital because I was trying to be a hero" Iona said in one breath.

Fredo was beyond pissed, he was furious. His hands form in to fists and gone white, his eyes almost bulging out of his head and veins started to show on his neck "You did what?! This! This! This is what would kill you! You have the very same attitude as your mother that's why she got herself killed you should stop Iona or God help me but I am going to do drastic measures!"

Iona froze, scared. When suddenly something move in his eyes, his wolf. 

"Fine" she whispers "but in one condition"

"What?" Fredo suddenly turns calm as soon as his niece agreed but didn't let his guard down just yet. 

"Let me go to school with Keith and Jared" Iona says

"What?"

"Please, uncle I haven't gone to a normal school for a while and you know that" Iona says. 

She had never gone to a proper school since she was known to be a girl. Every one of her uncle  and aunt has disagreed on letting her go to a school, knowing she's delicate and fragile since she was a girl. No wonder her mother was aching to break free from the family.

Fredo sighs, he looks at his sons who looks determined in some way, and Fredo already got what he needs to know "Fine ,since the two of them will protect you but if you ever feel anything weird go straight back home"

Iona smiles "thank you then I have to go"

"Where are you going?" Standing up, ready for an argument or even a fight.

"Don't worry uncle, Keith and Jared are going with me. I just need to get my things in my apartment"

In the Car

Iona is on the passenger seat while Jared drove and Keith lays on the back. She was nervous since she haven't had a decent conversation with them in ten years, and back in the house was the first time she had actually talked to them.

"So, where were you in the past ten years?" Iona asks

"you know here and there but the real question is where were you?" Jared tries to sound teasing but it just came out cold and harsh.

Iona smiles, not minding it at all. She expected as much "The hospital, for ten years I was in the hospital but I try to sneak out if I can or I'm well enough to do so."

Keith puts his hand between the crook of her neck, checking her temperature "you're not having a fever are you?"

Iona shakes her head "No, I really am just pale because of my c-condition"

Keith sighs in relief but concern still lingers in his eyes. "how did you get this apartment?"

"Doc, gave it to me" Iona says. 

Jared raises a single brow "For free?"

she nods, gripping at the leather seat while looking straight ahead. If they thought she was pale in the house, she is even paler in the car. 

"Why?" Jared asks, suspicious. Who in their right mind would give a teenage girl who is close to dying a fucking apartment?

"Because he feels a bit obligated. Mom saved his daughter's life and as payment for the past ten years, he tried to save mine. When he couldn't, he tried to make my life as comfortable as possible." Iona sighs "I feel bad for him"

"why do you feel bad for him? You should feel bad for yourself" Jared let out a low growl, his hands turning white on the wheel. 

"Because the thought of my death will haunt him. Because he didn't save me and haven't gotten the chance to save me" Iona says looking at the window "and besides if I feel bad for myself then it will be hard for me to live my life since my time is running out. I don't have that much time left"

The two turns silent, not knowing what to say and not knowing how to take the pain from their chests away.

N_A

If there's anymore issues comment and I'll fix it

Thank you for reading I'm Dying Mate! I hope you enjoy this chapter! 

UPDATE: Also I decided to renew the Cast because the old ones were from my 12 year old mind and now that I'm 20, they've changed so this is the new Iona^^^^^^^^^^^^

Also added a few things, you know since I've scanned it and edited it a bit. <3

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Edited (sort of) hahaa

(1) Mate, Gone.

Their silver Hummer parked in front of a two-story house complex with tall gates for security. It was a modern house and from the looks and feel of it, it's like a young bachelor lives in it, rather than a dying girl with cancer. 

Iona climb down the large vehicle. It was hard for her height of 5'4, it felt like a mountain to her with her clinging on the seat as she feels for the ground. Her toes pointing down, trying to feel for the gravel. When she still haven't felt the security of land, she felt two hands on her hip and slowly lowered her down. She turns her head to meet Keith's amused eyes. 

She makes a small smile "Thanks"

Keith grins, a foreign feeling that he hasn't felt in a long time invaded his chest. He ruffles her hair as if it was a habit accumulated by time together that never existed."Welcome, Shortie"

Iona groans "Shortie your ass"

Keith chuckles but says no more.

Jared looks at the looming tall gates of the apartment building. His eyes trying to gauge out what's wrong with the place like how he was trained to. 

Always look for faults before you trust anyone His Dad once told him. 

He doesn't see anything that is amiss, it looked safe with a guard who was staring at his figure. He ignores the annoyance of being thought as someone who'll cause trouble, though he admits he does look like a troublesome kid.

"Hi" Iona steps in to view of the guard. 

"Iona!" his hard face cracks in to a smile at the sight of the short, fragile girl. "Wait, let me open the gates for you...and your guests" 

"They're my cousins" Iona feels the words on her tongue, it was foreign and new. It wasn't weird but it was certainly strange, it hasn't occurred to her that she'll say words like those. 

"Oh," Felix the guard eyes the two teenage boys that looked nothing alike at the sweet human. "I see, well, shouldn't keep you waiting then"

He opens the gates for them while Jared tried really hard not to growl at his face for even doubting him. He won't stoop so low as to be degraded by a human he can throw over his height and break his neck. 

"Let's go then" Iona pulls at Jared's arm, his gazes snaps at the contact and for a moment the anger was gone. He was...elated and followed meekly behind the short human. 

JARED

Her room is what I consider as simple and close to being bare. It had white walls, black tiles, and it was just a studio type. A single door that leads to a functioning bathroom, a big window that I estimated as 3 meters by 3 meters is overlooking the small square behind her building. 

A bed that reaches the height of the window is pressed close to it. I know if I step out in to the square, Iona's small body would be in view as she sleeps. I feel irritation gnawed at my insides at the prospect of my little cousin's privacy being violated. 

Keith seems to notice this too as he looks over to the window. He was on all fours on the bed while peering outside. 

"Cousin, this is too...revealing, don't you think?" Keith glances at Iona who was pulling a box from under the counters. I hear the dripping of the kitchen sink or what I think is the kitchen, everything here was just so fucking tiny. 

She meets his gaze and shrugs "It's tinted, don't worry"

Relief and satisfied with her answer, I begin to look at the pictures taped on the wall. She has a good eye but most of the subjects were looking away and purely candid. Should I tell her that that is illegal? 

I notice the books on the floor since the walls are bare of any surfaces it can be placed on. There were no dressers or cabinets but just a small suitcase on the side with all the clothes she has ever owned. 

Keith, she barely has anything I sent to the bond to which Keith just gave me a What-can-you-do shrug and a sigh. 

Her room smelled like lavenders and the singe of strong medications. My eyes snapped on the kitchen counter where rows and rows of medicine lay open for anyone to see. It feels like a dying girl does live here, it was devoid of any warmth but a reminder of how lonely she is and how cold her life is. 

I can't believe my cousin lived here for three months without feeling suffocated by this thick air of loneliness. It just feels lonely, it made a vice grip in my chest at my unlucky cousin. 

I move to the window to look at the view of the Square, I see a café, a small restaurant, and a bookstore on the back. I hear her piling the books in the box she manage to assemble and I move to help.

"It's fine," she smiles at me, her eyes glossy and sincere "I'm not an invalid yet, you can just carry them down for me" 

My frown deepens 

She giggles, for a moment I am transported back to the time where everyone was still alive and not dying. Aunt Dianna and Iona living with us in the vacation farmhouse without the pathetic male human that she calls her father. "stop frowning, you look like one of those Halloween masks" 

I purse my lips on a straight line instead. Is this what my little cousin lived in? It just seems so death like. I mean you could feel that the room was lived by a dying human, and I hated it. Why does she have to die? When we just finally found her after ten years.  How can she have cancer when she came from a healthy family? I guess, that good for nothing father of hers probably has a weak bloodline. 

I hated my cousin's father all he did was do drugs and beat Iona's mother up, I even wondered if he ever beat up my cousin. If he did, he better wish he's dead. I can't imagine Dad letting that go so easily.

But there might be a chance, right? There could be a chance for her to live, I mean if you have a werewolf mate he'll give you some blood that can be compatible with her, because they're mates and heal her. No werewolf mate dies with any sickness but they die in old age, and or injuries. If only we could find her a mate in 9 months, maybe, just maybe it would give her a chance to live, because she has to.

I turn to look at Keith who was looking at a huge teddy bear, I was about to tell him of the small chance but the idiot was too absorbed with the huge thing. It grabbed his attention the moment he locked eyes with it. 

Iona is trying to reach a box from a high cabinet, I decide to help her first before she physically harms herself. She mumbles a small thanks and kneels by the floor again, she was careful and meticulous on how to handle her things. I know she treasures everything she owns because of it

I smell her lavender scent, feel the weakness of her body temperature and hear her steady heartbeat. Every beat is like a reminder or a time limit on her inevitable death. 

"Ahh, Keith! Please don't mess my teddy bear up, it was a gift." she says to Keith, who was trying the weight of the huge teddy bear. 

"How the fuck did this even fit through the door?!" He says, exasperated. He looks at Iona expecting a calculated answer 

"We pushed it in...?" she says with a tinge of color on her cheeks but that is all we can get from her that can be considered as a blush. 

"How many months have you lived here?" Keith asks, while grabbing the bear's arm like a child. He glares at the thing like he's accusing it for holding Iona captive. 

"3 months." She says while getting her pictures off the wall. 

I look at her really confused, I open the suitcase but it was empty. Collecting dust and extremely light to the touch "Where are your clothes?"

She looks at me, her black eyes looked troubled as if thinking if she should tell us or not "I-I don't have any clothes"

"why don't you have clothes?" Keith interjects, still holding the Bear's arm. His hand gripping on the fur of it, I know he is trying so hard not to puncture his nails through it. 

I know the feeling, I wanted to punch the walls with my knuckles but I shove them in my pockets instead. I feel useless, hopeless and incredibly stupid. We could have used our money to make her life better, make her feel like she's safe and loved. She fucking lived just an hour away from the fucking pack-house. 

My skin pickled, my fur close to rustling out of my human skin. 

"Well, I lived my life in the hospital and I did have clothes but it doesn't fit anymore. Also, I had a chance to buy clothes in those three months but the money will just go to waste since I'm going to uh..." I glare at her, daring her to continue that sentence, she gets the hint. 

 "...so, I wear hand me downs from Doc's family. He gives it to me and take care of the laundry for me" she explains while playing with the hem of her shirt. She looks like a child again, the child that I grew up with until she was whisked away from us. 

How many birthdays of hers and her Mother have we celebrated without them? How incredibly sad it gets in the house when we do. 

"and those clothes are from this doctor, correct?" I point at her jean shorts and brown tee. 

"Uhh, yeah, hand me downs. In Saturdays, Doc's maid will take" she says, before turning back to the box and starts packing again. 

Today is a Saturday, so she's clean of any old clothes. 

"Where are your new clothes then?" Keith squints his eyes in scrutiny at her

Her back tenses and even when she was faced away, I could feel how nervous she is. She doesn't want to answer. Why? I don't know

"You're looking at them, I try to not ask too much from Doc. He's already done enough, you know?" she doesn't look at us as she says this. I see her large bruises that is still there mocking me of what a failure we've been. 

"Mom would for sure take you to buy some clothes" Keith says, hopefully. "Would you like that?"

Iona's face looks like she's going to protest but I gave her a glare, daring her to. She shuts her lips and shakes her head "Sure, I think so."

In the end we only had three boxes, I carried all of it since it was incredibly light. Keith carried the insanely large bear down the flights of stairs in his arms. All of a sudden, he stumbles through the stairs and his the corner.

"Are you okay?" Iona asks, concerned

I laugh my ass off, almost stumbling myself and dropping the boxes

"I'm fine" he glares at me "Thanks, cousin, at least I know someone who actually cares" 

After we put the box on the back and tying the bear on the roof of my favorite vehicle, I helped Iona to climb in and gone to the driver seat myself. 

"I'm sorry if all I've done is glare and be moody" I whisper, while thrumming my fingers on the wheel. I ignore Keith's shocked face from the rearview mirror, his jaw open and his eyes wide. 

I rarely apologize since I've started the Alpha training. I started around a year after Iona and Dianna left. A lot changed after they left, it must be strange to be affected so much of them leaving but we were incredibly close. 

My father and Uncles doted on Aunt Dianna and Iona. Being human with a gene that can carry Alpha pups, my father and uncles were taken by the council to prepare for it but they never forgotten the love they gave to my aunt even when they found their mates. 

I wish that Dianna had the gene, but apparently it skips sometimes. 

"It's okay" She whispers, a small smile on her face. "I'm not much of a good company, to be honest. I'm called a downer a lot, I had limited social skills" 

"You're not a downer" Keith protests, after recovering "You're a hoot!"

"Not really, I read a lot, technically spy on people and I don't like the mall or shopping so--"

"You don't like shopping?" I question, incredulous. 

I was taken aback, she is the first girl I know who doesnt like shopping because for all the girls I dated they all loved shopping more than anything.

"You don't like shopping?" Keith repeats, he couldn't believe it either.

"Yeah, never really liked the number of people, and there is a lot of crazy going everywhere" she says as she sinks in her seat and grabs hold on the handle to steady herself "Never really liked cars either"

"you never rode a car before?" Keith asks

"Well, I rode an ambulance when I had to change hospitals, and let's just say the floor was never been that beautiful after I puked on it" Iona laughs, I don't really see the humor of her being in an ambulance.  "but shopping may be fine, though I don't have a sense of style"

I sigh, trying not to destroy the wheel of my car as I drove. How long has it been since she lived this way? I try to not think about it because if I do, I fear that the painful vice grip on my heart would tear me to pieces or I'd storm out of the car in my wolf form. 

The latter would just induce panic on my small cousin and the former is stupidly painful. Inhumanely painful, the closest I have to a broken heart. 

At home mom was turning crazy again, especially when she learned that Iona didn't own  clothes. She starts asking slash ordering female pack members of the same size to pull every spare clothing they have for Iona. 

The only thing that stopped her from turning the whole place look like a refugee center is when someone reminded her there is a mall close to where we live and we can buy her new ones instead of another set of hand me downs. 

Jessie, one of the female pack members, seems to like Iona and helps her on trying on clothes. Jessie had blonde curls and icy blue eyes that are easy to read, it's incredibly hard for her to lie.  She is a good five inches taller than Iona, and had a body of a track athlete because she is the best runner in the pack. 

She has been training to be the messengers of the packs, the kind that crosses borders for messages to be passed. We have something called the Golden Pass that is where the werewolf messengers do most of their job.

Werewolves are modern but we keep tradition as much as we can that suits the time and age of the humans. We use emails and the internet but we use the golden pass when we exchange important ancient scrolls that was made by the Moon Goddess 

I was leaning on the wall, watching them try to dress Iona's small body which was so freaking thin and small when Dad came in. 

"where's the coffee table?" Dad asks looking over the room, the coffee table in question is under the pile of clothes that Mom was able to pull out from the members. 

"It's already here so might as well try some of them on" She says

Dad's eyes looks around the living room then landed on Keith, who was reading his comic book while lounging on the couch "Keith, did you throw the seventh coffee table again?"

Keith realizes everyone was looking at him and sits up "What? No! that's just sick"

I chuckle, smiling evilly. "He did just that Dad, he threw it because he lost another one of his games"

Keith opens his mouth to argue but Dad beats him to it "Keith! You are grounded and you're in charge of training the pups!" 

Keith deflates and glare accusingly at me. Dad has used the Alpha voice which means there is no going back from it. He huffs and sits besides Iona just to annoy me about the fact he can easily get along with anyone. 

Dad glares at him then softens when he looks at Iona "Well, Iona I have news for you"

Iona turns to Dad with a small smile "Whats the news? Other than Keith having to train with the pups?"

"You'll meet Your Uncle Ross and Aunt Sarah with Michael and Doram" Dad says. This wasn't much of a surprise for me and Keith because we always see Michael and Doram in school along with our other cousins Airo, Manuel, Frier, Marco and Moose. Yeah, our family is big.

"Where?" Iona ask, I can see her tense and nervous. I just cleared it off my mind as excitement on seeing them again.

"Well, that's the thing I need to discuss with you. They say they want to meet you now, and wants to meet you in a fancy restaurant downtown. With us, of course, are you up to it?"

Iona nods "Sure but oh! I don't have anything to wear"

"Don't worry, honey. We'll go to the mall, I'm sure there might be time to buy something, right babe?" Mom asks Dad with puppy dog eyes. Dad, please do not fall in to the trap

"Well, they did say 7 pm and its only 1, now. So, maybe you guys do have time" Dad says. 

I groan. Stupid mating bond. 

"Good, I will take your credit card, honey" Mom say as she dashes out the living room along with her car keys "Let's go Iona! KEITH JARED YOU GUYS TOO!"

Oh joy.

IONA

Once again we were in this horrid car that is faster than Jared's hummer. I feel nauseous but in a matter of freaking seconds Aunt Farah stops and finally said we're here. I didn't know but I realized I got out faster than I can get in. I drop to the parking lot without a care in the world while I feel my breakfast settling in my stomach. 

Holding my stomach, I try not to vomit on the parking lot ground since I feel like it would be rude to do so. I suddenly I feel someone raise me up "Are you alright?"

I shrug "to say the least"

Jared helps me brush the dirt off my knees and hands. I keep wondering why though when I can do it on my own even they are overacting over my....predicament. We then walked in the mall, I have only gone once in here but the noise and people keeps freaking me out. 

Even though all these things are happening in my life, I'm thankful that I got to be with these people even though I know that I'll be leaving soon. I thought of the clothes that would undoubtedly be left in their care. 

I know of the Mate theory, Doc already threw the idea at me and I thought, No. I don't need a mate because I don't want one. 

Sighing, I say "Aunt I'll go look around the other shops. Just stay here incase I don't find something."

Aunty Farah gives me a once over, trying to think if it's smart to let me out of her sight. "Okay, but be careful"

I nod and left, I searched other shops for dresses, and I really did try my hardest on looking for a dres but I find myself slacking off in a bookstore. I was checking on the books that aren't in a plastic and tried to read the open ones. 

I see the new release poster and couldn't hold myself from the excitement. I was about to take one of the books but I feel someone's hand over mine. I feel electricity travel through my nerves like I was struck by lightning.

The warmth and sparks went to the tips of my toes and deep in to my chest. I look up to see a guy with black hair that is very long and shaggy, a part of me wants to run my hand through his hair but I bit my lip as to stop myself. I notice his green electric eyes and the tattoos that run up his arm 

I feel my mouth pop open but I quickly close it and run to the ladies room. I quickly see that it's empty and I'm relieved to see that there was no one there. Sighing in relief, I start to wash my face 

Doggone it! I have a fucking mate! This is what they used to tell you, it has to be the mate thing. I know it! The bedtime stories from your Aunts finally was of use, huh? 

I groan while feeling for the tissues with my eyes closed. My life is stupefyingly tragic

"Here, Love" a low husky voice say. My back immediately straightens at hearing it, I know it. My heart starts palpitating at the thought of him following me till here.

"thank you", I say, timidly. Taking the tissue since he did just offer it for me. "what are you doing here?" I ask that seems like a shriek

He frowns. No, he scowls as he sniffs the air and his eyes lands hard on me. His gaze makes me feel like I don't want to exist that I shouldn't exist. "you're a human"

"No, duh!" I shout, I suddenly feel ashamed and mad at hearing how disgusted he was at learning I was human. I push him away, wanting to get as far away as possible. 

"Don't-Don't! Don't touch me!" he shouts, for a minute I felt like dying as my heart started to feel like crying but I sucked it up and tried to look unaffected. That is easier said than done

"uhm, sorry if I'm touching you but..." I gulped "you should go out of the ladies room"

"I wouldn't have gone in this place, if only I have known my mate is a stinking human" he grumbles as he steps out of the ladies room. 

I suddenly feel the same pain when my cancer had moved up in to stage three, it was a writhing pain in my chest like I couldn't breathe and every part of my body felt like it was beaten up in to pieces. but I think this one is different, more severe and no drug can take me away from the pain. Tears trail down my cheeks while I bit my lip and ran away

My mate just rejected me. And the most idiotic thing in that sentence is that I thought, I hoped even for just a little bit that I could have a mate and he could save me. Confusing from what I originally declared of not wanting a mate but a dying girl could hope, right? 

When I got close to the store where I left Aunt Farah, I notice Jared and Keith were just outside. Sitting on the bench, waiting for either her or me. They soon look up and see the tears. The two of them looks bewildered and started to move to me. Jared just pulled me in a huge hug

"what's wrong Iona?" he asks calming me down by running his hand on my back. "Are you sick? Should we go to a hospital"

"its nothing I'm fine" I lie, while not looking at them. I really can't afford looking at them in the eyes because I'll break out the truth if I did. I'm horrible at lying.

"You sure? You smell like someone, wait" I can feel him grab my hand and sniff it "you smell like... The Fire Pack Alpha, Damiano"

I feel my heart skip at his name but also break in to a thousand pieces realizing he didn't want me at all. "O-Oh that's his name"

"what did he do to you Iona?" Keith asks "I swear, I'll beat him up to pieces--"

"No, don't please, uhm, he asked directions and I just answered him" I lie, still avoiding their gazes as I said it. The lies are already heavy in my heart and guilt started to swarm in my mind.

"he better be, and you should be as far away from him as possible" Keith says, he looks unconvinced but he doesn't push it. "his pack is one of the ruthless one's in the werewolf world, he hates humans and when one of his pack members has a human mate its either death for the two  or banishment or look for another werewolf mate"

My eyes widen, horrified. He's going to look for another girl

"What's wrong? He hurt you, didn't he?" Keith says

And as if on cue aunty calls for me and I pull them to the direction instead "she calls, we've got to go"

AFTER SHOPPING.

THIRD POV

Farah bought a nice cocktail dress. A midnight blue one so she can use it for any other events that Iona wanted to attend to. 

Twirling around in front of Farah, she let her hair fall on her shoulders and straightened it out with a comb. It still pained her that her mate rejected her and she's still deciding if she should tell her uncle or not.

But honestly, she's too scared that he'll freak out and go berserk. He'll go mad and declare war between his pack and theirs. The Blackfield brothers are known in North America for always being united as they are brothers by blood which means their packs help each other. 

She looks at her reflection on the mirror, her room was given to her by Farah. It was different from her old apartment because this one was warm with yellow walls, cream brown wood floor, a life size mirror, a queen size bed, a white dresser and a walk in closet. It feels a bit more like a home than a hospital room or the lonely apartment she temporarily lived in.

She realize that the dress really didn't suit her, because it's really not her style. She likes it but not for her, she isn't that pretty enough to carry it with confidence nor is she healthy enough to have any sort of glow. 

She starts to play with the lace that tied on her waist, she's nervous to see her Uncle Ross and Aunty Sarah it even made her have a date with her toilet as she throw up every time she thinks about what's going to happen.

Her mom might have known what to do but she doesn't. She feels the need to throw up again while Farah trailed after her and held her hair back

"Are you alright?" Farah asks, softly. Pushing Iona's hair from her face as she threw up in the toilet.

Iona nods "Yeah, just nervous"

"Okay, come on now, Iona. I'll give you something that'll take that nervousness out", Farah said as she helped Iona wash her face and sit on the bed 

I don't feel that proud about this chapter I just wanted to give you another chapter so fast so sorry if you don't like it.

DAMIANO^^^

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"Here" Farah says, while giving Iona a tablet "just drink that, and all of the things that should stay inside, will be inside"

Iona chuckles, she made a grateful smile and walks to the door to get a cold glass of water from the kitchen. Suddenly, Farah grabs her waist gently and pull her back in the room again

"What?" Iona says, unfazed. Her wide eyes swivels to Farah. The woman was small compared to the other males especially her husband, but she can easily take Iona in her arms and swing her like a stuffed toy.

"Honey, don't ruin the surprise to the guys outside. I'll get you some water, and you stay here." She walks past Iona to the door but pauses the moment her hand touched the knob. Farah looks over her shoulder and gave her a squinting look "Don't do anything stupid, young lady"

Iona looks at her strangely with a goofy smile on her face "What? What makes you think I'll do anything stupid?"

Farah purses her lips, mulling over the words. She wasn't sure if it's a smart thing to say. She's scared she'll just hurt the poor child. "it's just that you're just too much like your mom" she gives her a small smile then went to the kitchen.

Iona looks at where Farah had left, instead of feeling sad she can't help but feel guilty. She knows Farah and her Mom were close like sisters, she feels so horrible that she didn't tell them about her death ages ago. Also, partly of it is because she feels at fault for her Mom dying. She could have stopped her

4 years ago

It was like any other day in the hospital, Iona had her hair shaved since she knew it's going to fall out anyway because of the treatments. Her Mother being herself tried to cheer her up with photographs that she took. She stares at the window with her camera on her lap, a gift from her 12th birthday, she took after her mother after all.

The frozen pictures, the lighting, the angle and the way some things are beautiful if you know the right way to look at it. Both her and her Mom were fascinated by these things. It's been a while since she took a picture of anything, the treatments make her arms shake and you need a steady hand to take a good picture.

There's a lot that didn't make sense to her, she know that she was dying and people are trying to avoid that question. But what completely throws her off is that she didn't knew why her Father forbid her and her mother to go in contact with their other relatives.

Dianna tries really hard to keep Iona form forgetting them, she keeps telling her stories of her brothers and giving her pictures of when she was young with them. Hoping that it would be more than enough to do so.

Iona moves to get her box of pictures below her bed, and got it without pulling the IV line on her left hand. She opens the box with shaky hands and smile at the contents, this was all that she knows about them. Her own memories covered by a haze or fog like she isn't quite sure if it really happened.

"Honey, good morning" her mother enters the room like a light of her own. Her dark eyes twinkling with delight at the sight of her frail daughter, her hair braided to keep it from obstructing her face. Her mom had red lips not like hers that has lost its color, and her mother has a curvy and a little bit muscular body.

"Good morning, Mom" She smiles, replying hers. A warmth in her chest that wouldn't fade away.

Dianna caresses her daughters face, and smiles "guess what, honey"

"What mama?" Iona asks, a little bit curious.

"Mama finally has money to do the foundation in Africa" Dianna says. "Honey, remember that you wanted to save animals in Africa? Well, mama's foundation is about that and mama is going to Africa tomorrow"

Iona smiles, she's proud and happy that her Mother was doing what they have both been talking for a long time. But there was something that keeps bothering her, something was off something was wrong. She ignores it and smiles even wider for Dianna

Dianna senses her hesitation. How couldn't she? When she knew her daughter like the back of her hand. She raised Iona even when her eyes would swell shut from his fist and her heart would break from his words. The only reason she stayed, the only reason she breathes today was because of her little girl "Honey, what's wrong? Aren't you happy?"

Iona shakes her head "No, mama, I am happy. It's just that something is wrong" She could never lie to her mother, not that she wanted to. There wasn't a day that goes by that she doesn't tell her anything.

Dianna smiles and kisses her daughter's forehead. Trying to ease her girl's worry and also hers. "I understand, it is a bit worrying since...I'll be gone and it'll take a while"

"How long is a while?"

Dianna purses her lips "A while"

"You don't know either, don't you?"

Sighing in defeat, she nods "but I'll write and send you pictures."

Iona smiles, happy and also sad. She really didn't know what to feel at this point. "Okay, mom. I hope you have a safe trip."

Dianna grins, her leather journal on her lap. Her eyes memorizing every part of her daughter's face. She didn't know how long she'll be gone, and she needed to make sure that she'll recognize Iona even if a year would pass. "I'll send you lots of letters, even every hour if I have to"

"I would love that, and could you also take a picture of a pride of lions for me?"

"Of course, honey, anything for you." Dianna places a small soft kiss on her forehead and smiles "Want me to tell you a story?"

Iona nods in great delight. Then Dianna begin to tells a story of her own past that feels like a lifetime ago, a past that her husband wants to keep away from her.

When it was close to getting dark, Dianna takes one more look at Iona. Both of their eyes filling with tears at the prospect of the goodbye that was going to ensue.

"I have to go now" Dianna whispers

Iona musters every fiber of her being to pull a smile from her face. Her hands gripping on the sheet of her bed in such a painful manner, she thinks her fingers would fall off. "Goodbye, Mom"

Her mother cups her cheek in a gentle and loving way, this was a goodbye they didn't know was their last. "You are so beautiful, I am so lucky to have such a strong and beautiful girl like you"

"Mom" Iona whines, she is flushed

"See you, Honey" she makes one long kiss on her forehead and left.

If only Iona knew, that it was a final goodbye.

Iona hadloads of pictures of lions, giraffes, hippos, and other animals in Africa. She is convinced that her Mom can steal any moment, any memory with just a click of her camera and freeze it forever.

Every letter that was sent to her, she would read them over ten times as Dianna explained everything that was happening over to her side of the world. Iona starts to love Africa from the things she tells her, she couldn't wait for the other letters to reach her.

After a week of her mom constantly sending her letters, it suddenly stopped. Out of nowhere not even an envelope of pictures or a single postcard was given to her. Nothing was sent.

Perplexed and worried, she asks her nurse, Nannie, that was always by her side over the years of staying in this hospital. "Nurse?"

Nannie looks at the wide hopeful eyes of the child and gave her a small sad smile "honey, haven't your father told you?"

"What?" She whispers, heart dropping to her stomach. Something was wrong, the feeling that was bothering her when her mother was about to leave, came back.

Nannie looks away, she couldn't face Iona's eyes that was slowly filling with tears. "A lawyer will come here and he's going to talk to you. He'll give you the answers that you need"

Iona feels lost at that time, she didn't know what to do. Something must have happened, why else would there be a lawyer coming for her? On that night she didn't sleep, she didn't eat nor did she feel safe. She was restless and anxious, and now scared as her father, Smith, visited her. Today, of all days.

One look at Smith you would know that he was once an attractive man. Thick blonde hair and the bluest eyes you could have ever seen but the addiction has rode his body causing it to look like as if he was sucked out of everything.

A start quarterback with long arms and even longer legs, he could have had the world and got in to NFL. But then the werewolves came and suddenly he was obsolete, he couldn't compete with those shape shifting beings that has double the muscle size than him. he got rejected and the man that Dianna fell in love with slowly slipped away.

He looks sober today, Iona remarks. She watches him through the corner of her eyes as he sits down on the stool beside her bed.

"your mother" he pauses to look at his daughter, she doesn't meet his gaze. Fear wracked her body with such intensity. "your mother is...dead"

She snaps her gaze to look at him, her heart taken out of her chest. "No... No....you're lying! She-She was just here a week ago. You're lying!" her tears just trail down her pale cheeks and wouldn't stop.

She starts to move down her bed but was stopped by Smith as he holds her down. She struggles, wanting to run away and look for her mother. She knows her mom would be back at their house, in the dark room where she'll be hanging the photos of everything.

She manages to kick him and lash out the bed. The nurses came in after Smith pulls on the intercom, not wanting to deal with the little girl anymore. The door opens and the nurses immediately saw a bleeding Iona, the cannula wasn't completely out of her vein as it painfully dislodged on her muscle.

They grab her and pull her back to the bed, even taking out straps to bind her. A doctor, not her usual, comes from the side and tries to fix the cannula.

"Sedate her! Sedate her, now!" The doctor shouts.

Before it all goes black, she sobs feeling a warmth in her body that she couldn't explain.

Arms. It felt like arms to her. She lets out a strangled cry at the thought that maybe it was her mother and this was their goodbye.

A weeklater, the body of Dianna Blackfield came back from a flight from Kenya. Smith made sure that when her body arrived, it was ready to be buried, not wanting to spend any more money than he has to. Iona wasn't given a chance to see her Mom's face one last time not that she wanted to. She wanted to remember Dianna on how she lived and the pictures of them together, not on how she died.

On her wheelchair, Iona counts the seconds as Dianna's body was lowered to the ground. No priest or anything presided over the dead, there were only witnesses of Iona's grief as she cried. Her father too high or stoned to care what was happening while he took another swig of his flask.

"It's your fault" Smith slurs, "Giving her those ideas"

Iona looks as if she was slapped. It dawned on her that he was right.

It's her fault

Present

"Iona, honey, here's your water" Farah broke Iona from her memories.

Iona flinches at Farah's voice but quickly regains her composure. She shouldn't cry at a time like this, she looks at Farah who has just entered and closing the door quietly behind her. "Oh, thanks "

Farah furrows her eyebrows in confusion, her improved eyesight catching on to the tears threatening to fall. "honey, what's wrong?"

Iona's heart suddenly skips a beat. Busted "Why? What's wrong?"

"You look like you want to cry" Farah says wiping the tears from Iona's cheek.

"I'm fine, just some memories came rushing back" she says, while turning back to the mirror in front of her. Since when did she walk from the bed to the vanity? "so, let's go down stairs?"

Farah looks at her, suspiciously "Okay, honey."

Iona smiles, relieved Farah didn't press on too much.

When they got outside, everybody loved Iona's dress. The make-up Farah put on her gave her a healthier glow than the deathly pale one. The adults were cooing at her, giving her compliments and affection by the way Farah cups her cheek and Fredo's warm touch on her shoulder.

The only people who were aloof and strange were Keith and Jared. They have something different in their minds, they knew something was wrong back in the mall and they wanted answers.

Jared keeps his eyes trained on Iona and she could feel his piercing gaze on her skin. It made the hair on her neck stand up from it, she could feel his dominance and need for answers. It was worst when he chooses to walk behind her than beside her.

The brothers wore almost identical tuxes except for the fact that Keith took a red bow than a black one. He wanted to infuriated his mother, he was close to her in a way that these kinds of small teasing made Iona miss her mom.

Farah is dressed in her dark and tight gown with sequins that made her twinkle under the lights. Her hair swept to one shoulder while her arm locked on Fredo's bulky ones. She sighs in delight while fixing her mate's tie.

It was obvious Iona is nervous, the way she bit her lower lip and kept looking at the ceiling. With Keith on her arm, she tries not to dig her nails on his arm or ruin his suit.

"Relax, human" Keith chuckles "your heart can power the whole city"

Iona let out a nervous chuckle "Sorry"

"Don't apologize" Jared interjects behind them "No one in this family apologizes"

Iona nods, still not looking at him and still feeling his gaze. "Okay" she whispers

They made their way to the garage where a BMW M6 was laid out in front of them. Iona stares at it like it was made of solid gold, it might as well have knowing how expensive those kinds of cars is.

Being the alpha of Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky, with those many lands the Alpha was able to acquire a certain amount of money. Most of his wealth was used for the pack, this are just merely excess that he spent on spoiling his family and close pack members.

Fredo is a good leader and a great one at that, he is reliable and the most dependable. Those are one of the reasons why Iona approached him first instead of the others that and another grave reason. She has always remembered him as the uncle that carried her on his shoulders and taught her on how she should live with as much grace as she can.

He was the one who was adamant to teach her how to fight, how to move gracefully even when she was a clumsy human. He taught her that honor is everything.

His large hand opens the door for Farah, he gives her a cheeky grin to which Farah replies with a chaste kiss on his cheek while effortlessly sliding in her seat. Keith opens the door for Iona to climb in and she enters with her hands trembling. Jared stalks to the other side and brushed shoulders with the nervous Iona.

"You okay?" he asks, looking at Iona as if afraid that she'll pee herself any minute now.

"Yeah" she chuckles again.

Jared watches her carefully but kept his mouth shut while Father drove them to the restaurant.

It was the restaurant Crescendoswhere only elite members of a certain specie club can enter the premises. It was already a spoken rule that only werewolves were allowed to enter the restaurant, but tonight it seems Iona is an exception. The brotherhood of the Blackfields are elites of the elites, being related to them, Iona has the special privilege of being able to enter and dine inside its walls.

When a valet opened the door for them, Iona slides out of the car with eyes on her. They skipped the waiting line entirely and everyone looks at the newcomer. Iona kept her eyes on Fredo's large back, and pretended to be blind. It's the only way for her not to get nervous at this point.

The lessons she remembers from Fredo's lessons was gone, at that moment. Her movements stiff and hard though she kept her head up, she can't move. Jared suddenly growls and locks her arms with Iona when he noticed three men from an enemy pack.

His back went stiff, his posture rigid while glaring at those men. Keith for the first time looks serious and blank while holding her tighter between the two.

"Just stay close to us" Jared whispers "or people here will eat you alive"

Hope they like eating double dead meat"

Jared frowns while Keith lets out a small smile at the joke. "Yeah, don't worry but that doesn't mean I am not asking for an explanation"

"Jared, we just touched hands when I was going to get a book in a bookstore. He cringed and left disgusted, so when you told me he hated humans it made sense" Iona says, not that it was a lie since it was part of the truth.

Jared looks at her eyes while walking and a few more seconds of staring he breaks it "Alright, good thing he didn't hurt you"

Iona smiles. If only they knew "like I would let him hurt me"

"That's our girl" Keith smiles, it came easy that he forgot they weren't in their territory. They were in neutral ground which means a lot of rules and regulations are trying to keep it as neutral ground but that doesn't mean he should let his guard down.

The three of them walks inside the cool air of the expensive looking building. The dying girl's eyes were wide when she went through the doors, her skin prickling at the cold air but for now it was ignored. She admires the gold chandelier on the ceiling above her, the thick rug under her sandals and the warm smiles of the hostess that greeted them. It looked so much like a grand ball in the 17thcentury, she didn't know how to act.

Iona had never seen such overhead lighting before so much so that she hasn't realized she was already seated on a large table. She was faced in front of her Uncle Ross, who gazed at her with a nostalgic smile.

Ross was known to be the softer spoken ones in the family during his younger years he is the one who took care of the spunky Dianna. He was the only one that can tame that wild girl, him and their mother.

Her mouth hangs open still, staring at awe at the paintings on the ceiling. The cherubs with their small bows, and men and women on clouds. She still hasn't notice the dark haired Ross with brown eyes admiring her.

Sarah smiles at her niece, her blonde strawberry curls pinned and tight while her icy blue eyes stares emotionlessly at the girl. Olive toned skin with slender arms and long legs, Sara is what they call a picturesque woman and she knows it. She has always demanded the attention of anyone in the room, her beauty and intelligence made sure she caught everyone's eye and attention. A total contradiction to her husband nonetheless they called them the balancing of opposing forces.

"Iona" Ross whispers, star struck. His lips quirk up in to a friendly smile. "You look like your mom"

Iona blushes, and bit her lower lip "Thank you, Uncle Ross but I'm far from Mom"

"Oh no! You have close resemblance, right Fredo?" Ross to pats Fredo's back with his heavily built arm. Fredo just smiles at the gesture

"Right" Fredo said smiling and chuckling with Ross. "Dianna would be very proud to see you like this, little one"

Iona looks down at her expensive plates. I would like to hear that from her soon.

Michael, with his dirty blonde hair and a killer grin to match, was seated on her left. He remembers the odd smelling girl beside her, he knew her and his perfect memory would never let him forget. They were after all family. He took both of his parents beauty but thankfully didn't take Sarah's personality. He wasn't like his father as well, he was too...bold.

The little boy that was sat across Iona, just between Ross and Sarah was Doram. The five year old child who has no memory with the dying girl at all. His eyes were blue that completely matches her mothers and hair as dark as night.

He glares at Iona to which made her look at the tiny boy in his blue suit. Iona likes kids but she knows Doram is different, he looks and feels intelligent probably due to his Alpha blood. She looks at his straight small nose that resembles her Uncle Ross'. She offers a smile to which he doesn't return.

Doram picks at his salad, deviating the animosity he gave out to her on to the leaf. "I understand that female genders in the family are rare, but to treat her like this is a bit too much"

Iona can't believe her ears. Did a five year old just say those large words? Are Alpha's that advanced compared to the humans? Iona hesitates to speak but then Jared whispers something in her ear.

"They don't know yet. Dad was unsure how to tell the truth"

Iona chokes on her food but eventually swallows it with the help of the water beside her.

"you okay?"

"I'm fine" she croaks, her voice raspy.

"Doram be nice to your cousin we haven't seen her for ten years" Sarah says without any sincerity, whatsoever.

Doram clears his throat as if he was a walking adult "Yes, Mother" he looks wounded, the way he glances through the corner of his eyes at his cold mother. "Would you please excuse me" it was more of a statement than anything as he left the table.

Iona looks trouble, she just can't let this be. She never thought that Sarah would be like this with her son. "Uh, excuse me"

Michael grans her wrist, the firm hold and the warmth of his hand was imposing. "Cousin, let him be"

Iona shakes her head "No, I can't let this be. I'm going after him"

"Michael let her do what she wants" Ross says, his eyes glimmering at Iona. His heart delighted at the resemblance she has with Dianna. He wonders, where is Dianna? Is she still with that good for nothing husband of hers?

"But dad he'll—" Michael was cut off

"Michael let her go" Ross says, still calm. Michael finally lets go and Iona went after Doram "she is just like Dianna"

"Too much" Farah whispers, pouting at the direction where her niece went away.

Fredo looks at his mate with a sad smile. He puts his hand over hers in comfort sensing his mate's broken heart.

Iona runsafter Doram who did not walk in to the restroom but outside through the restaurant doors. A lake which was the ceremonial lake of the neutral grounds is disrupted by the rocks Doram skips through the water's surface. Iona can't help but feel for him, she felt like she knew what he was feeling. She slowly walked towards him, not wanting to spook him or run away from her.

"Go away" he says, throwing another rock.

Iona chuckles "I won't"

He pauses and looks at her "what do you want from me?"

"You want your mother's recognition. She shows no affection to you and a fleeting one with Michael" Iona carefully let the words out, she watches the emotions in his eyes and she knew he was right.

"You love her but she doesn't seem to love you back. She's distant, broken even and no matter how much you try to impress her or get her attention, you can't" Doram didn't move, didn't make a single sound as he takes her words in, all of it hitting a mark. "You hate me because she seems excited to meet me, and you saw something in her when she talked about me. Something you haven't seen in your whole life. "

"Shut up," he glares, his eyes was so intense Iona didn't know a child would be capable of such hard eyes. "Why are you here?"

"Don't you want the reason why she's like that Doram? I have the answers"

Iona caught his attention "What are you saying? Are you crazy?"

Iona opens her lips but hesitates again. She feels like one of those goldfish in the waiting room of her first oncology doctor. "I killed one of your brothers"

"What?" Doram glares harder, confused as to what this human was saying.

"We were just kids, your Mom was pregnant with her second child. She was on the top of the stairs and we were running around, I was being chased. Then before we know it, I bump in to her and she drops down the stairs. I didn't go to Uncle Ross at first, and was nervous that it almost killed me and right now I think this disease in me is karma from what I done"

"What are you saying? Are you crazy?"

Iona hasn't realized it but tears were already trailing down her cheeks "you're too young to understand" 

Edited

DIAMOND/ MAMMIE^^^^

(3) Oh! Hell, With the Donor

Iona turns back towards the restaurant; her steps doesn't falter with only one thing in her mind. She pauses to look at the infuriated five-year-old glaring at her back, saddened by the fact that this is how he grew up. A mother who doesn't seem to care for him

"Doram, she is just troubled but don't hate her. I know at some point you will hate her but she's your mother. Trust me in saying that you should love her now and hate her later when she's gone." Iona says wiping her tears that keeps trailing down her cheeks. "that's why I care for you, not because of redemption of what I have done, but because of love"

"So, it's all your fault"

"It is"

"What use do I have from your so called 'love'?"

She shrugs, her heart twinging in pain "my devotion and now the truth"

Not knowing where she was able to muster the courage to walk up the steps to the restaurant. She walks closer to the table where her family was seated. They were in deep conversation with Ross in a tight frown and Sarah staring blankly at Fredo's face.

Did he already tell them? Her steps falter at the thought of her dead mother's name being exchanged by her uncles. She could imagine their grief, the sadness that would loom over their heads as it does Fredo.

Then there was a roar of laughter that came from Fredo, he pats Ross's back, and all seems well again. The heavy atmosphere gone while Ross smiles and grits his teeth at his brother's heavy blows. The beautiful Sarah even gave a small grin, but it quickly faded as soon as it came.

Iona breathes in, mustering again the mysterious place where her courage was hiding. She steps in to the line of sight of her family, their eyes snapping at the nervous human. They can hear her rapid heartbeat, they can even smell her perspiration that was more than normal.

"Are you okay?" Farah's voice tugged with concern, she stands to her feet to aid Iona if the need arises. "You don't seem to be okay"

Iona's lips move but no words came out of her mouth. Her courage was gone the moment their eyes met with hers and she didn't know what to do. Then she thought of the five-year-old kid, just outside those doors. Frustrated and mad at everything especially himself.

Not if I can help it

"I know what you're doing, Aunt Sarah" Iona meets the cold eyes of the blank faced Sarah. "I know you're different now after losing a child. But being like this with Doram isn't going to make anything better"

Sarah meets Iona's eyes, amusement, and curiosity flocked together, so evilly in her glinting eye as if daring the human to say anything else out of the ordinary.

"Iona, I don't think this is the right place to be talking about it" Ross's eyes dim at the mention of his lost child. The bane of his life.

but Iona ignores him "I know you hate me Sarah, I know I killed Greggy but please don't hate Doram, he's your second chance. He's your son"

Sarah's smile that bloomed from her lips is not as comforting as it should. It's the truth she dreaded coming here, dreaded seeing this human. Iona has noticed it; the way Sarah has looked at her. "What do you mean Iona? I love Doram like how a mother should love a child"

"Sarah, stop this! Can't you give the last part of you have to Doram? The old you, hate me all you want but he is still your child. How is he any different from Greggy?" Iona says.

The list of rejection keeps adding, the thought of the little boy hating her feels more painful than Sarah not being able to forgive her. She already lost her mother, and that's what she hated about her mom because her mom made her a promise that she'll never. Still, she left. It was childish to think so, childish to think her mother would live forever but a promise is a promise. A little part of Iona wanted to die in her mother's arms no matter how selfish it was.

"Iona, honey don't make a scene" Ross makes a sickly smile that looks practiced and standoffish. he stands and tries to make her sit by grabbing her shoulders. Her fragile skin bruising from his grasp. Unbeknownst to everyone, the bruises were dark and forming at a fast pace, it made Iona yelp in pain and surprise.

The action made everyone look at her, black pooled under Ross's palm. They watch with confused and horrified expressions at the strange phenomenon. Jared's blood boils, he took his Ross's wrist

"Don't touchher" he growls the word out through his clenched teeth.

Ross raises his brows at Jared's action, a pup challenging an Alpha who was also his uncle. How hilarious but he looks at his hands again.

"This is not normal" he whispers at awe to himself.

Iona shakes and shivers in pain. Fredo comes up and pulls his brother down and away from Iona. Farah came to her niece checking her shoulders, but it was bleeding and the bruise was in the darkest hue she has ever seen. The size larger than her own hand while she tries to cheer the cringing human. The asshole has let his claws out and punctured her skin, the bleeding dripping down her arm in an unnatural rate.

"Oh. My. God" Farah whispers as she rips the hem of her dress and tries to stop the bleeding.

Sarah looks coldly at Iona, she doesn't want to be in this place and the chaos that was unfolding is an entertaining distraction. Her cold eyes sweep to the frantic Farah, the mad Alpha Fredo and Fredo's sons, and at Michael who looks like he didn't know what to do or who to side.

"Call a doctor!" Farah growls at Michael beside Sarah.

"Don't involve my son in this" Sarah hisses

Farah throws her a deathly glare at her "Call a damn doctor"

"Don't move" Sarah's calm voice pierced the tense atmosphere

Michael looks at Sarah then at Farah whose eyes were turning gold in fury. "I am not a child anymore" he pulls out his phone

Sarah in one swipe of her arm, sent the phone flying across the room. They hear the metal breaking on the marble floor.

"You bitch!" Farah growls, leaving Iona in the midst of her rage. Her claws out and hands outstretched, wanting to kill the blonde woman. She was fast enough to be able to get a hold on Sarah's shoulder

"Let go" Sarah's cold voice growls, her eyes glaring at the Farah's golden ones.

"Make me" Farag digs her claws, feeling it hit her bone.

Iona feelsdizzy, her eyes wouldn't focus on anything and suddenly everything tipped to the side. She falls to her side, the momentary pain that came from hitting her cheek on the floor almost sent her in to a blackened hazed.

Keith sees this and took himself out of the two Alphas and his brother's fight. He knew he is needed somewhere else. Besides, no one was winning nor losing. They just wanted to keep Ross away from the girl. He kneels beside her; his eyes couldn't believe the blood escaping her small and frail body.

"Hey" Keith whispers, fear clutching at his heart. He takes out his phone and calls the ambulance. "Please, hold on for me, little girl"

She can hear him in her dizzy haze, so she smiles "Keith" she whispers.

"I'm here" he answers, his hold soft but firm. He really didn't know how to hold her properly, but he was just doing a precautionary turn. "Hold on for me, little one"

She mumbles something incoherent and Keith leans forward for his forehead to rest against hers. "Please" he whispers, his heart breaking. "Be okay...for me"

When the ambulance arrived, they immediately pull the limp girl off of Keith's lap. His tears that he unknowingly shed cast aside while he follows his cousin. The human department of the emergency team pulled their kin while the werewolves pulled theirs. The only one left standing were the feuding families that was at each other's throats.

"I'm coming!" Doram shouts from behind, his small feet carrying him to the ambulance where Iona is being carted away. Keith spots him and pulls him in with one sweep of his arm and to the inside. "what's happened?"

Keith poses to answer but froze when the EMT says "We're losing her"

Doram is confused, for the first time in his life he didn't know what was happening to her and somehow, he's scared of suddenly not knowing. He wants to open a book where he can figure out the answers like he did so many times but came out with nothing. His brain seems to be malfunctioning at the wrong time and place. He just met this girl and she's the reason for his mother's indifference but why does he seem to care about her?

IN THE HOSPITAL

Doram and Keith waits in the hallway of the ER, waiting for the surgery to finish. She was rushed inside while no one answered their questions, so they decided to try any semblance of calm. Doram was still in the dark while Keith wasn't able to answer any of his questions due to the shock until they go to the hospital

Keith clench and unclench his jaw, trying to search for his voice. He wanted to tell Doram the truth, but he was just as shocked as he was on what was happening now.

"Do-ram" he said a little bit too hard, and his voice breaking. his mouth was not cooperating in this strange and tense moment.

Doram looks up at him with blank eyes like what his mother often does "what?"

"You want to know the truth?"

"I'm not sure" Doram says, he looks down to his small hands turning into fists on his lap. "Do I have the right to know the truth?"

"Well, I don't know about that but, I think you do. What matters is how you handle the truth not if you have the right to" Keith pats Doram's head.

Doram licks his lips and made a single nod "Okay, fine then tell me"

"Iona...is dying" Keith says. "she has 9 months before she has to die"

"Of what?"

"Cancer"

The two of them were silent, they didn't talk for a while, but they were staring at each other. They didn't know what to think, especially for Keith who had just told a five-year-old about cancer and he expects him to understand. But then again Doram is not a normal five-year-old. Not only is he a werewolf, he was also a prodigy. His mother was too preoccupied by her coldness and lost to recognize anything from Doram.

Doram's fears were true, the symptoms of pale skin, and easily bruised body was all in his head. The clues were there, and she got the worst one. The paleness and the smell of death that hung around her like a ghost, Iona just has this aura of being sick and he was right. And for the first time he hates himself for being right.

They stared at each other and finally stops when the doctor finally came out. Keith stands trying to block Doctor Frederick, Iona's doctor, from running away without an explanation.

Frederick had somber eyes as he looks at Keith. He starts to take off his plastic cap from his blonde hair and his bloody mask and along with his bloody gloves. Keith can smell it was from his little cousin. The amount of it on the doctor made his heart constrict

"What happened?" Keith asks, nervous of what the result will be or might be or could be. He only wants to believe in what should be.

"it's still unknown, we'll wait for your parents and maybe when they come here we will be able to know"

"What?! You're a doctor! you're supposed to know what's happening to her!" Keith shouts, both the exhaustion and frustration fin on his nerves. The not knowing frustrates him. He finally saw her again, she finally went home and then what? She's just going to die

Frederick remains calm "I already told you, we're not sure only time will tell on what will happen to her"

Keith didn't know what to say next and just grabbed the ageing man's collar close to his face "She better be alright after this or I'll have your head staked"

He lets go trying to contain every emotion he felt and sits back on the bench with Doram. He wanted to punch something or pull his hair out till his scalp bleeds

"Can't you at least stabilize her condition? Can't you stop the bleeding and assist the bruising and put antibiotics or something in her system" Doram couldn't control his mouth anymore

Doctor Frederick was surprised at the small child in front of him. How can such a small child know such things? "her white blood cells..." he starts unsure, if he should continue telling this information to a child. But he continues, "...is already attacking her red blood cells, the bleeding has stopped but she lost so much I'm not sure if she can recuperate in time. her BP is low and we're trying to ease the pain but not too much and we fear she'll go in to a cardiac arrest"

Keith and Doram sits there, stunned, and not sure what to say next. Frederick excuses himself and went back to the room that held the dying girl.

"Is it true?" Doram suddenly asks Keith

"What's true?"

"About Iona killing my second brother?"

Keith looks astounded "She told you that? No wonder all of these happened"

Keith sighs "it's true and we were with her at that time, but it was just an accident. She was young, she was running but since then Sarah hated her"

"So, she's the reason why my mom treats me so differently than Michael"

Keith nods, no reason to hold the truth from the kid. "Yeah and that's why she was so nervous on coming here, she wanted to have you...understand and not hate your mom"

"what does she expect me to do?"

Keith shrugs his shoulder "Like what a small kid with a big brain should do, Love his mom"

Again, there was silence and they let each other's walls go down as time passed by with Doram getting sleepier than ever and started to lean on his cousin's shoulder. Keith noticed this and put his head on his lap and pets Doram's head trying to wipe the sweat out of his forehead.

Doram doesn't trust anyone enough to be able to sleep. Everything was a competition to him and in his household. Even Michael made sure Doram was on his toes.

SEVEN HOURS LATER

The healing Sarah and calm Ross came to take Doram, but he refuses to go home. He looks at his mother and hugs her crying.

"Don't hurt I-Iona" Doram sobs, the very first time he every cried in front of her.

Sarah looks confused, he was never like this in front of her though he did this once, but it was nothing but trivial matters. This is the first time she heard her son begging for someone's sake or ever cried at all

Sarah kneels down to Doram's level with claw marks on her shoulder and blood all over her long dress. She looks deeply in Doram's eyes, her pain out and piercing his young ones "Did you know what she did to me?"

Doram nods "they told me. I know you lost my brother but she's already paying for it"

"what do you mean?"

"She has cancer and she's dying" Doram sobs again

Sarah had a flash of concern, but it flashes back to the unemotional void everyone was used to. "she's dying...she deserves it" she spats and turns away, leaving his husband and son.

Ross follows her but Doram stopped him by tugging the hem of his shirt "No, dad, let her be"

Ross feels a tug on his heart at the direction of his son. He sighs and carries Doram on his arms "what's happening to her?"

Keith looked up "Don't know. But it's your Goddamn fault"

He pursues his lips in a thin line. Guilt was a new thing for him

"We were going to tell you and even if you knew, what gives you the right to hurt her like that?" Keith stands almost reaching his uncle by mere inches. "Did you even care for Iona in the past few hours when we're back in that restaurant?"

Ross looks down and sighs "I would be lying if I said no but I have a mate and I have a responsibility for her too"

Keith was about to say something, when the doctor runs out. He looks at Keith and Ross with anger in his eyes.

Frederick stares at the both of them "her body condition weakened, her life expectancy decreased and right now I'm having a lot of stress searching for her blood type"

"This is a hospital, where are your blood reserve?" Ross asks

"Might I stress that we need human blood not werewolf blood, but we've run out from the blood bank" Frederick sighs

"Ca-Can't you do anything for her?" Keith asks

"The ER is using it all and it'll take hours before new stock from the blood bank can reach here. Frederick thinks about it and he snaps his fingers as an idea came to him "I'll get back to you"

Keith's mouth pop's open "that doctor is unbelievable"

Ross sighs and sits on the bench and put Doram on his leg. "we'll all we have to do is wait for him and for your father"

"what happened to them?" Keith asks "It's been hours"

"they're coming, they just need to cover some things with the humans and they'll be coming" Ross says and patting Doram's head "Humans and their whining"

Keith looks longingly at the door of the surgical room "Humans..."

-

Iona was far from the reality she knew. she was far from everything that she called real. She looks around the flourishing fields of beautiful flowers and watch everything move even though there was no wind and they are all untouched. She starts to run, her legs felt amazing and she wasn't tired of catching her breath on the side.

She runs through the patches of plants and watch as the world revolved around her. She didn't know where she was, and she didn't care at all. all she knows is that her name is Iona and she was here to have fun. Here to be herself and be gone. She suddenly stops in a patch filled with tulips and suddenly she could smell ash and... Fire.

The field of flowers easily licked by the flames and gaining on her. She runs and screams but the fire still caught her. Her skin burning, her blood was dried by the first touch of the flames. She crawls on the ground, her nails bleeding as she pulls her burning body. Inch by agonizing inch

Pain, pain, pain, pain she chants.

What is happening?

-

The moment the rest of the family arrived, Keith gave them the answers that worried them. Jared can't help but curse and glare at Ross while Fredo ignored the existence of his brother completely.

"I swear to the Goddess if something were to happen to her" Farah hisses at Ross "I'd revoke all ties with your fucking pack"

"That is not your decision to make" Ross reminds her

"I'd believe her, Ross" Fredo glares at him, his eyes glowing golden again. "She is my other half, we have equal power over the whole of the pack."

Farah glares daggers at Ross. She opens her mouth to say something but Frederick runs out of the surgery room in a hurry. Snapping everyone's gazes at the doctor hoping for answers.

He runs past Iona's family and that didn't bode well with the standing Alpha. Fredo chases him down the hall and pins him by his throat, having no patience at all "What is happening to her?!"

Frederick chokes, his hands gripping on to Fredo's wrist to relieve the pressure on his airways to talk. Fredo realize this and loosens his firm grip from his neck

"I found someone...with the... blood" Frederick struggles to breathe and say the words

"Well, then that's good. How did you find it?" relief relaxes the muscles on his shoulder.

"The right question is who" He coughs, still trying to pry the hands on his throat off "I contacted her grandmother,"

Fredo froze and swallows the lump on his throat "Did you say my mother?"

Frederick nods

Fredo turns away, leaving the human to fall on his back on the floor. He walks back with his head hung low and sits beside his loving mate. All of them staring expectantly at him.

"So, what did he say?" Farah is the first to ask him

"He found a donor" Fredo says, shaken

"That's great! But why are you like that, honey?"

"Why should I be? when mother is the donor" He almost whisper the words as he put his face in his hands

Ross starts to laugh "That's my brother, even in the heaviest moments he could always tell a joke"

"I'm not joking, Ross. He already called mother to come"

"MOM?!" Ross shouts a little whimper came out of him. "then I'll take my leave for now"

"Where are you going? This is your fault so take the fucking responsibility"

"All the more to go, if mom knew this she would skin me alive. Then I won't be able to make it up to Iona"

Fredo thinks about it "No, stay. You deserve it for doing this to Iona"

"what—"

"Yes, Ross you deserve this" a voice that filtered in the hall, they were currently in, made the strong men flinch and quiver.

They all see an elderly lady with the perfect posture and silver hair walk with such grace at their direction. "You boys haven't changed at all. Hurting my only Granddaughter who means the world to me and now that her mother is gone, you do this to her."

Ross kept his blank façade stifling the want of cowering from his mother like he was a child again. Fredo freezes not moving at all, his eyes bewildered and didn't know what to do or feel.

Doram hides behind his father while a shell-shocked Michael starts to slide down the wall and fall to the floor as if seeing a ghost. No, a nightmare has come to life and he couldn't believe he is here.

Jared sits stiffly and erect on his seat, closing his legs, folding his hands neatly on his lap and looking down on the ground. Keith curses out loud at the sight of her, dread and regret when he realized his mistake of cursing out loud.

The males have tucked their tails between their legs while the only one relazed was Farah. she smiles and hugs Diamond so welcomingly, even glancing at the fear strucked men.

"Hello, mother, how are you?" Farah asks

"I was fine" Diamond smiles but not warmth nor humor came in to her eyes. There was only rage and anger while she stares down at the feeble men that was her famiy "Until I heard my little granddaughter dying. Dying! I rushed to go to this hospital and good thing I live on the outskirts of the town."

Diamond glares at the men on the hall "Well, well, well Keith later I will wash your mouth with soap with that kind of words. Jared, I see you remember what I thought you, straight back, legs closed, hands on lap and chin up.

Even though your mom argued you're not a girl but with that kind of hair I will treat you like a girl. Be a man, Ross! face your goddamn responsibility. Maybe then I will give you the honor of skinning yourself, and Michael I expect more from you get up on your feet and don't be a coward like your father

Doram you are the same as your useless mother who won't move on with her little one's death. When she has sons, she is supposed to love and care for and yet here she is, a useless being. Oh, don't you dare growl at me Ross. I am your mother, the first woman to hold you, and just because this one has chosen to spread her legs for you doesn't take away that right. I swear I will forget you as being my child and even deny you on the very people we lay eyes upon that I gave birth to you!"

Oh Hell.

(4) The Mark

FREDO

"You knew, mother?" I whisper, the news not fully absorbed by my brain. I couldn't help but glare at the woman that I feared all throughout my childhood. The woman who cast us aside the moment we turned in to the children the Elders wanted us to be.

The humans with the Alpha gene who would produce strong werewolves and lead the species in to a better future. I admit that we have turned our backs on her because she wasn't much of a mother to begin with.

She has always preferred Dianna more than anyone in the family. Whenever Dad asks her why, the only thing she'll say is "Because females are rare in the family and most often than not they're the most fragile ones"

But we knew, those were just excuses. We knew it's because we're not humans anymore. She couldn't accept that we've turned in to werewolves with no trace of the humanity she tried to instill in us. I've heard her curse at Dad a lot of times for carrying this gene, and indirectly cursing our existence.

She rolls her sleeves back down and says thank you to the female nurse, but once it lands on me her gaze turns cold again. "Of course, I knew. She's my granddaughter and Dia needed help"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ross stands from his seat, the color on his face returning. He's worse than me when it came from the trauma our mother inflicted on us.

She scoffs, "You're werewolves with werewolf mates. Your head is either in that stupid pride of yours or what's in between the legs of your females." She glances at Farah beside me "No offense, dear"

Farah smiles kindly "It's okay, mom"

"A pack, mother" I correct her

"What?"

"We're a pack not a pride"

"Oh, whatever." She dismisses us with a wave of her frail arm and I wondered for a moment why we're so scared of her at the first place.

We've grown up in to large hulking men that lead powerful werewolves in to prosperity. I have more money than any politician and I have more brains than a doctorate holder. This woman that gave birth to us have always been so strict, especially when we were chosen by the werewolf elders. Since then, I don't remember her being so warm to us.

"it's not whateve—that is not the point" I let out a growl directed at her to which made her look surprised and even a tiny bit shocked. Yes mother, I have the balls to talk back now

"Dianna died and Iona is dying.Didn't it occur to you to call your sons that could actually help?"

Her eyes widen, and her jaw drops. I thought for a moment that I finally derailed the living witch but what came out of her mouth next tells me I haven't at all. "My sons? The sons that haven't even called me once since Dianna left you. The eldersas you call it must have raised you to break every other human relationship you have in hopes for new werewolf ones but if I was the one to raise you, you would have had the decency to call your ageing mother" her sneer on that particular word made her look archaic and even vengeful.

"Mother—" She cuts me off

"I don't know why I have to explain myself but I do not have sons. Not anymore, my boys were sweet and caring but they were taken from me, all I have left now is my granddaughter. I did what I had to do as a mother who was left abandoned by you who claims to be mine.

Dia and Iona were better off without the likes of you who abandons the one who gave birth to them. I would excuse them from the pain of it all rather than let their hopes be dashed away by you lot" With her chin held high, she looks away from us and directed her sight at the Iona's door.

I sigh, a headache coming to me. "we didn't abandon you"

"You left" She scowls "Your father died waiting for your sorry asses and you didn't have the decency to visit his funeral. You sent flowersas if that is enough"

"you didn't know" I say, the memories of me hunched over the desk as I cried in my office came back to me. Father was a good man and he was a great father, he was the only respite from her we ever had, especially of the times we were allowed to come home and we're greeted by this cold woman. "the pain of losing pappy was excruciating"

"Of course, I wouldn't know. Flowers don't talk, son" she hisses

It felt like a slap in the face but I kept a blank face. Through all the years of handling my mother, I've learned to never show anything for her to pick on.

"I went" Ross admits, I can feel he is as infuriated and mad as I am but he kept his cool façade. We learned the same things when it comes to our mother.

"I saw you but you were as spineless as ever. You didn't even try to make yourself known. I had to hire men to carry his casket when he had sons." She scoffs "Sons, I wonder if you really were ours. The elders have ruined you"

"the elders made us strong, they taught us how to handle the responsibilities of those who carries the Alpha gene." Ross defends and I nod in agreement.

"without them then we wouldn't be able to lead our packs along with our mates" I added

"Did it ever occur to you that life isn't just about your glorious destiny of being Alphas?" She laughs, a bitter and cruel laugh. "You boys always had this idealistic goal of being werewolves and heroes. But you are still men, you would die with nothing of the power you have"

"That's—" I was cut off with the doctor who I learned was Iona's long term helper came out, he looks disheveled and exhausted.

He looks at the us and probably senses the tension that we were in, the kids were on the plastic chairs while we argued. I couldn't blame them for not wanting to weigh in to our family squabble. He glances at mother and I see him relax at the sight of a familiar face.

The idea of her knowing this all along angered me. I could have saved my sister from that idiotic husband of hers and she would have been alive while taking care of her own daughter. But no, my mother had to be selfish and withheld everything from us.

We didn't even know how to look for them. How did I not scent my sister and Iona from mother on her visits with her grandchildren? How did I not know?

"Ah, Blackfield family" He takes off his blood gloves and even the mask. "I have good news"

"What is it Frederick?" Mother says, concern and worry wrought in her voice. We only catch glimpses of that but we never received any of her care.

"She's stable and..." he glances at us "She has the werewolf Alpha gene"

The silence in the room was deafening. I see my mother's face turn from relief in to pure and absolute fear. She glances at us, her werewolf kin and she sneers in disgust.

"What, mother? You're going to disown Iona too?" I mock

She ignores me while giving the doctor or Frederick a gracious smile "Thank you so so much. You've helped my baby a lot through the years"

He smiles back at her "That's what we do, we help as much as we can but also... there is more"

"More?" Ross asks, his interest piqued

"Iona's gene is...stronger and more complexed even. We think she has two mates"

I wanted to laugh at mother's face. It twists and twitched not knowing what face to show or muster. If I have seen that face when we were young, I would have took a picture of it to remind myself that the troll queen can be conquered.

"I see, that is good news then" her words were forced but her eyes held gratitude at the doctor. She is known to be good at being polite and what not

"I'll call you once we transfer Iona to her room" The doctor smiles at us and left when a nurse calls for him

Then Mother turns to glare at me with all the hatred she can muster. "If you dare take her away from me to give to those blasted elders, I swear I would forget that I ever had sons and take her farther away from all of you"

"You wouldn—"

"Oh, I would" then for some sort of miracle, her eyes softens and I see the pain in it. The kind of pain I've only seen once and that's when the elders took us. "I can't lost another child of mine. Not by death or by something else. Iona is different, she's the only thing left from Dianna"

Stunned, I couldn't say anything. The others seems to be as stunned as me. I feel Farah's hand on my shoulder and the sparks of our bond rousing me from my stupor.

"Mom" I whisper

"Don't call me that" she softy says. "Mother, would be fine"

Then she turns to leave

IONA

Ididn'tknow what happened after the field of flowers and the burning. I was still thankful that I woke up from the pain filled dream, no matter how beautiful it was. I open my eyes to see the familiar white ceilings of the hospital.

The ceiling looks like an old friend, it wasn't disorienting at all like what other people told me. It was comforting to know that I was back in the security of people who knew how to handle my dying body. It's because that I'm in the hospital that I'm not in pain anymore and for that I'm thankful.

I hear a lullaby. It was familiar and warm, something I knew I listened to, for a while now. I look around and see Mammie by the window which was her usual seat. She was cutting apples to look like rabbits and singing the lullaby I've heard whenever it's my birthday.

"Mam-Mammie" my voice broke and I feel the dryness of my throat.

She looks at me, eyes wide with surprise and relief. "Iona" she smiles and pulls the chair with her to my side. The plate of rabbit apples on her lap while I see tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Aw, Mammie" I whisper, voice still scratchy.

"Water, you need water" she turns to the night stand where the pitcher of water and a glass was there. She gives me the cold glass and I gratefully drank it with one hand to support its weight. I can't seem to move my other arm just yet.

"Iona" Mammie says between sobs "I was so scared you'll never wake up"

"What happened Mammie?" I ask looking around the room and oddly enough we were alone. My uncles and cousins weren't there, it felt strange without them there. Not even the hotheaded uncle Fredo

"The doctor said you're stable at least. You're fine for now and that..." mammie let's out a whine in her throat. Too scared or to hurt to continue "you're dying" she whispers as if saying so would stop it from happening.

"I'm sorry for worrying you and not being able to call. I wanted to spend some days alone for a while, you know? Doing things on my own since it's been a while that I have been able to do that"

"No need to say sorry" she smiles, tears still trailing her cheeks. "I understand, let me get that" she takes the glass away from me and kisses my cheeks.

I've grown used to of Mammie crying, she is always crying. She is so fragile that I often watch the words that I say to her, fearing she'd cry with one wrong word.

She holds my hand on my good arm with both of hers. She smiles even when she's crying. I couldn't believe Mammie went all the way here to get to me and I was thankful for the familiar face. I didn't know if I can take waking up in an empty room again.

Mammie keeps crying, she wouldn't let go of my hand as if it was the tether holding me here. This is what I'm afraid of, I don't want to make anyone suffer, I don't want anyone to cry that's why I chose to die than to live because living means having to hope. To hope that this disease is going to be cured when that is not going to happen.

Someone knocks and Doctor Frederick pokes his head out of the door, his eyes were serious and yet gentle which could only mean something bad. He looks at me and then to Mammie "Mrs. Blackfield, could I speak to Iona in private?"

Mammie turns to look at him and a gave a single nod "If it's you, doc, then okay." and she reluctantly lets go of my hand and kisses my forehead "Shout, if you need me"

"I will" I promised. I look at Doc and smile "What's up Doc?"

He chuckles "you don't really care if you die or not don't you?"

I purse my lips and sighed "I care, Doc. I'm just doing this as gracious as I can and hope everyone is ready when I leave them."

"Then how about Synthia, you know she hasn't stopped talking about you at home. She wants to see you again, it has been a while. She know's you're pushing her away and it's not going well for the both of you."

I nod. Synthia is Doc's 10 year old daughter that mom saved countless of times and she was his only child. In gratitude, he decided to save me but I can see the guilt of failure on his shoulders when he told me I don't have much time left. "I'm sorry, I'll come by soon"

Synthia was also the reminder of how long I was in the hospital, 10 years of suffering from this pain but I didn't care. Synthia made all the time I spent here in the hospital worthwhile, she gave me the huge teddy bear in my 15th birthday saying that if I miss her and if I'm sad, just hug the teddy bear and remember her.

I'm going to be 19 in a matter of months, they say I'll die on my birthday and will have a so called dramatic scene for everyone but this time I want to spend my birthday quietly.

"So, Doc, what do you really want to talk about?"

Doc sighs "there was another reason why you lost a lot of blood" he says while rubbing his chin

"What is it?" I ask curious. I play with the IV line and felt a twinge of pain when I accidentally touched the needle

"Well, look at your right torso"

I did what he said and I see twonames etched on my skin like a tattoo, the two names were one above the other. Damiano and Drake

My breath hitch at the beautiful sight of the tattoo. "What's this?"

"That is the name of your mates, Iona. When we were operating, the name Damiano was burning indicating he was cheating on you with mating with another female and marking her as his"

I feel a pang of hurt in my chest. My blood ran cold at the mere image of it in my being, my shoulders went slack and I had to lean back on my bed again to feel any semblance of being okay.

The burning in the fields finally made sense, the pain and the suffering I had to go through was immense but for some reason I can't help myself from thinking that it's my fault. If only I wasn't human, maybe he'd given me a chance.

"Wait, Doc! There are two names here... so that means I have two mates?"

Doc nods "It's a rare condition, but based on the werewolf legend. Every two or three hundred years a human will have two mates, and she either chooses one of them or just the both of them. The offspring's are often powerful and great leaders or warriors but I haven't found any living offspring's or the three mates living in this era."

He grins "I told you, you're a one of a kind girl"

"Is it already the end of three hundred years?"

"Actually based on what I studied, it has already been five hundred years and now we have you"

I shake my head, not being able to get my head around the idea of it "Please, Doc, don't tell Uncle or Mammie or my cousins or anyone!"

Doc moves closer and I can see the hand on his side clenches to a fist. "Why?"

"Doc, Damiano already rejected me and you've seen it. I know this Drake guy will too"

"what makes you so sure?"

"it's just that there is really no hope" I whisper "I can't live in this life anymore because a lot of people are just going to get hurt"

"you do know, that your mates can cure you" he scoffs "You'll be able to live Iona! The only reason you're still here is because Drake hasn't rejected you yet and if he does, I don't know what would happen to you"

"But what if I don't want to live anymore?" I whisper, "Maybe I'm tired, Doc."

"So, that's why? You want to die"

"Yes, and I am so incredibly exhausted of hoping. I've lost too much to want to li-ve" my voice broke, feeling the heat in my throat as tears burned my eyes. "I want to go where they are"